resolutions, about every silence in the resolution, about every incident (even the most trifling) at the plenum, in order to find loopholes. Well, how can we imagine in the role of a pendulum a man who was not present at the plenum and has not worked with us in the centers of the RSDLP for a very long time? But this is absolutely impossible! It means to bring matters to a standstill—and at such a time when we need to decide the most important questions at every meeting. After all, Leder will be forced to say: "I don't know" to thousands of arguments and petty criticisms from the Mensheviks (who are devilishly clever at exploiting every fraktioneller Dreck*, as you well know). Well, is such a man conceivable at such a time?

No. No. We do not demand the excessive from the R.S.D.**. We know its strength, its needs, the demands of Polish work. We do not burden Varsky and do not tear him away from Polish literary work. But you must absolutely leave him for us in the Central Organ, as we agreed about this during the plenum. Without Varsky we are absolutely unable to "overcome" the time of crisis—to achieve a change in the composition of the Central Organ. Then when the crisis ends, when the composition of the Central Organ changes, then... but even then, for all that is sacred, not Leder.

Give us Karsky then, if it is impossible even then to leave Varsky. But now Varsky is absolutely, absolutely necessary.

Shaking your hand. Greetings to Rose.

Your Lenin

Sent from Paris to Berlin

First printed in 1925

in Lenin Miscellany III

Printed from the manuscript